Warrnambool's Thunder Point Raceway users have two months to vacate

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has clarified the demolition encompasses the sheds, tower and unsafe infrastructure.

The Thunder Point pavilion will not be demolished.

DELWP says the Warrnambool Harness Racing Club has two months to vacate the venue before demolitions will begin.

The raceway at 48 Macdonald Street is on Crown land directly managed by DELWP and the organisation's decision has devastated harness racing trainers and fans.

DELWP program manager of land and built environment Emma Dart said "the future of the area will be one that protects the important environmental values and provides new uses for the local community".

"Following a review, and due to its important environmental values, this site is no longer appropriate to have a harness racing facility," she said.

"The Warrnambool Harness Racing Club has access to facilities at Terang which are more appropriate.

"We've been working with the club for a number of years to assist with their departure from the site. The extended deadline to vacate is December 31, 2021."

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According to DELWP, the harness racing club was issued with a 12-month notice to vacate in late 2016 and two trainers have yet to vacate.

This came after consultations found the site was underutilised and there was significant opportunity for broader community use of the site.

Prominent south-west trainer and WHRC committee member Marg Lee is working to get the decision changed.

"Warrnambool Harness Racing Club's new committee has decided to revitalise interest in the raceway at Thunder Point and I'm currently in discussions with the (Warrnambool) councillors," she said.

"We hope to generate a strong case with DELWP and the councillors."

Warrnambool horse trainer Lindsey Smith, whose stables back onto the raceway, is eager to hold onto the track too.

"If we don't stand up for the little things eventually the beach will go, the lot will go," he said.

Smith said Warrnambool was a horse racing town and it should embrace that and strive to provide facilities, especially for future generations wanting to get into the industry.

He said the raceway could be made into a thriving multi-purpose facility for pacers, gallopers and pony club and equestrian events in the middle of the track.

He added it could be another place for recreational riders to gallop, especially considering they couldn't on the dunes and beach.

Smith said the tie-up bays were already there and the irrigation would be suitable.

"It's one of those things, if it was there it would get used," he said.

The successful trainer said he was prepared to help with the upkeep of the track in conjunction with others like the harness racing club.

While the raceway is run-down, Smith feels the track itself is useful and just needs some love.

"Sand tracks are easier to maintain, you just grade them," he said.

"It's only a one-purpose (facility) at the moment and the trotting community is willing to work with everyone to keep it there, all it needs is some TLC and everyone to give each other a big hug and move on," he said.

"I'm looking forward to a lot more people coming down to Warrnambool, I'm sure once it's up-and-running it will be used.

"Build it and they will come."

The raceway adjoins the Thunder Point Coastal Reserve to the south and west, which is Crown land for which DELWP has delegated Warrnambool City Council as the committee of management.

WCC in partnership with DELWP and consultation with user groups and the local community completed the South Warrnambool Crown Land Precinct Future Directions Plan in 2014.

According to DELWP, the plan did not support continued use of the site for horse training, identifying that the majority of WHRC trainers and all related competition had relocated to Terang in 2005.

WHRC vice-president Geoff Senior said a multi-purpose facility would be the ultimate outcome.

But he noted if that couldn't be achieved, at the very least he would like for the track to stay so trainers could work horses on it.

He said horses wouldn't be stabled there in that scenario.

"Maybe we could just leave the track there and beautify the rest of the area and make it parkland or whatever just so we could train our horses there," he said.

Senior added the club was having its next committee meeting on Thursday night.

Lee's son, Jason, a leading south-west driver said keeping the raceway open would be great for harness racing and Warrnambool, even as a training facility.

"The area is going into disrepair and there's new interest in maintaining it," he said.

"The town has gallopers and greyhounds and there's no reason why we can't keep harness racing in Warrnambool.

"It's already there, so there's no reason why it can't be kept even as a training centre.

"Warrnambool is a great attraction for anyone interested in training horses - it's a great racing town."

Ecklin South-based trainer Mattie Craven said everyone needed to get together and invest in the raceway properly or harness racing should be compensated by DELWP if forced to leave.

He said he would use the track if it was brought back to trial standard. He feels Warrnambool trials would be of great value to participants across the south-west.

He said the club had had to deal with pressure to move for decades and then the uncertainty about what would happen to the track.

He believes this has impacted the club's ability to invest in the raceway to improve it because there was no guarantee racing had a future there.

"No money has been spent because of the uncertainty," he said.

If it can't keep the track, Craven feels WHRC should be given compensation to build new training facilities - including the ability to stable horses - at Terang so Warrnambool-based trainers are catered for.

He said it was a big inconvenience for Warrnambool trainers to drive to Terang to train horses.

"Those trainers will either have to totally relocate or throw it away," he said.

He said there were trainers that had given the sport away since the club was given notice about five years ago.

He said he only knew of one former Warrnambool trainer that had relocated to Terang in recent years which was for business purposes.

Craven added it didn't make sense horses had been forced off the dunes and mountain bikers were still allowed to ride them. He feels that contradicts the argument of forcing the horses off.

Narrawong-based harness racing trainer Jon O'Connor said it was devastating to think about losing the track because it had so much to offer.

"I was going once or sometimes two times a week - that's over the past five years - and there were plenty of other trainers using it too," he said.

O'Connor said it was important to hold onto the raceway because "you'll never get something like that back again".

He intended to get back there working horses as soon as he recovered from a foot operation.

"I was thinking I would probably move to Warrnambool in the next few years and be able to train horses out of Warrnambool," he said.

He's confident the track would be well used if brought up to scratch.

The Warrnambool community will have continued use of the Thunder Point Coastal Reserve for coastal visitation, walking, mountain biking, environmental and cultural education and conservation.

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